Though the weather is heating up, there is always a hankering for ramen! There are some amazing spots throughout the city serving this tasty dish, and we compiled five of our favorite locally-owned spots for you to check out sometime soon next time you’re craving a hot bowl of it!
Top five spots for authentic ramen in New Orleans:
Ajun Cajun | 8433 Oak Street
What once started out as a festival food favorite at spots such as Jazz Fest & French Quarter Fest, Ajun Cajun has been serving authentic Japanese food with a hint of Cajun spice. Ajun Cajun was birthed by chef Momo Young; a sushi chef that began her career on the West Bank at Tokyo Sushi.
Ramen selections are available for dine-in or order for to-go through their website. Choices include tonkotsu, miso, shoyu, and a vegetarian option: creamy veg with kale noodles or miso veg with kale noodles.
Kin Ramen | 4600 Washington Avenue
In an interview with NOLA.com, Kin owner Hieu Than explained that he “”You shouldn’t have to figure out ramen,” he said. “It should just make sense, like gumbo, etouffee or even fried rice.” Over the years, the folks at Kin have certainly figured it out and are pumping out five delicious varieties of the hot dish!
Kin offers five different ramen varieties including a classic pork tonkotsu, chicken paitan, oxtail shoyu (spicy), portobello yassa (vegan), and tom yum style ramen with sauteed local shrimp, shrimp and clam broth, and other yummy ingredients. You can order online from Kin Ramen here.
tsunami sushi | 601 poydras street
After opening in 2017, Tsunami Sushi has found a permanent home in the center of art and culture in Downtown New Orleans. Their menu focuses on fresh seafood and diverse Asian dishes, but also includes evening specials, like the Chef special 3 Little Pigs Ramen. Their menu offers standard sushi rolls, nigiri and sashimi and even some with a little South Louisiana enhancement. Plus, they have one of the best weekday happy hours in the city! Can’t beat great prices on martinis, plus house wines and draft beers, and 25% off all rolls under $9.
The 3 Little Pigs ramen is made with Pork Tonkatsu, braised pork belly, spicy house made thai meatballs, shiitake, bok choy, ajitama & tonkatsu ramen broth.
Nomiya | 4226 Magazine Street
Nomiya believes that all food must be prepared with a little bit of soul and a whole lot of truth, aiming to bridge the gap between quintessential New Orleans cuisine and Japanese artistry. They are currently walk-in ONLY, and do not offer take-out or delivery at this time. Fun fact: the n.o. in no-me-ya means “New Orleans,” mi means noodles in Vietnamese, and nomiya means bar. So Nomiya = a New Orleans ramen bar!
Their menu is pretty no-frills; step 1: you choose your ramen flavor from 3 different selections (Tonkotsu, Geki-Kara (spicy), and Kuro); step 2: add a little something extra like pickled ginger, seaweed, bamboo and more. You can also choose from 2 appetizer options for an additional charge to complete the meal.
Union Ramen | 1837 Magazine St Suite B
Started by Nhat “Chef Nate” Nguyen and Jeff Gapultos, Chef Nate found inspiration after a trip to Japan to study the various styles of ramen, and crafted his own style for the public. Focusing mainly on Tori (poultry-based) and Miso (plant-based) ramen broth, Union Ramen sets themselves apart from the rest with their broth: slow-cooked over time and offers a “clean flavor profile with the richness and complexity of an unrivaled quality ramen.”
Choose from five different options – original tori ramen, miso ramen, and slap-ya-kimchi mazemen, dirty mazemen, king koopa mazemen – and choose your meat! Head to their website for a full description of the ingredients in each ramen option.
For more restaurants with ramen + Asian-owned restaurants around New Orleans, check out the list compiled by @thenola15 below.
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Featured image via Union Ramen.
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